This blog is dedicated to sharing the concept that our hands are essential to learning- that we engage the world and its wonders, sensing and creating primarily through the agency of our hands. We abandon our children to education in boredom and intellectual escapism by failing to engage their hands in learning and making.

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

The photo sequence at left was taken in one of today's classes at Clear Spring School and is of making a sloyd plant stand or trivet based on designs from Gustaf Larsson's book Elementary Sloyd and Whittling. The project is done entirely with hand tools except that it begins with white pine planed to a 5/8" thickness. The student uses a marking gauge to scribe the cut line on the stock as shown in the first photo, then rip saws the parts slightly oversize as shown in the second. Each time a cut is made, the remaining stock has to be re-planed straight and square as shown in the third photo before the next part is rip sawn. The concluding work will be done next week.

About Me

I have been a self-employed woodworker in Eureka Springs, Arkansas since 1976. I live with my wife Jean on a wooded hillside overlooking our beautiful historic community.
In addition to work in my wood shop, I teach children at the Clear Spring School in a program called "The Wisdom of the Hands." My 10th and 11th books, Tiny Boxes by Taunton Press and Making Classic Toys that Teach were published in November 2016. I also write for Fine Woodworking and other woodworking magazines.
My resume can be downloaded at
www.dougstowe.com/resume.doc